His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, received His Excellency Éric Chevallier, Ambassador of France to Egypt, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation and strengthen cultural and scientific relations between Al-Azhar and France.

The Grand Imam said: "Al-Azhar has strong relations and solid scientific and cultural ties with France. The French language departments in the faculties of languages and translation at Al-Azhar University - along with the French Language Teaching Center at Al-Azhar - have played an important role in the development and advancement of this relationship."

 His Eminence recalled his personal experience in learning the French language and his memories during the period he spent in France, stating: “My generation and I grew up loving the French language through our professors who studied at French universities and taught us at the Faculty of Fundamentals of Religion (Uṣūl al-Dīn). They encouraged us to learn this beautiful language. I translated some books on Sufism and Islamic philosophy from Arabic into French, and I intended to continue these translations were it not for my preoccupation with other scientific tasks. I hope that young researchers will give priority to translations that convey the great scientific and cultural heritage.”

His Eminence spoke about the current crises the world is witnessing, stating: “The problem today is one of arrogance and haughtiness, and reliance on material power, which is the power of weapons. The wars that broke out in the East and affected the West economically and socially are indeed unjustifiable. However,  these wars did not achieve any of the goals for which they broke out. The primary reason behind these wars is that those who ignited them acted outside the bounds of human values rooted in religion. As a result, the world continues to suffer from forces unrestrained by moral and ethical principles. Although some rational voices remain present, they are still too faint to stand against these chaotic powers.”

The French Ambassador, for his part, expressed his delight at meeting the Grand Imam, and his appreciation for the great efforts he is making in spreading the values of human fraternity and world peace. He praised the existing scientific cooperation between Al-Azhar Al-Sharif - represented by the Faculty of Languages and Translation and the French Language Teaching Center - and France. His Excellency stressed the endeavor to strengthen these scientific and cultural ties in a way that serves the common educational goals.